Pages

Sunday, November 29, 2015

The latest novel
from the bestselling author of Dollface and What the Lady Wants takes us deep
into the tumultuous world of 1950's Chicago where a female journalist struggles
with the heavy price of ambition...

Every second of every day, something is happening.
There’s a story out there buried in the muck, and Jordan Walsh, coming from a
family of esteemed reporters, wants to be the one to dig it up. But it’s 1955,
and the men who dominate the city room of the Chicago Tribune have no interest
in making room for a female cub reporter. Instead Jordan is relegated to
society news, reporting on Marilyn Monroe sightings at the Pump Room and
interviewing secretaries for theWhite Collar Girl column.

Even with her journalistic legacy and connections
to luminaries like Mike Royko, Nelson Algren, and Ernest Hemingway, Jordan
struggles to be taken seriously. Of course, that all changes the moment she
establishes a secret source inside Mayor Daley’s office and gets her hands on
some confidential information. Now careers and lives are hanging on Jordan’s
every word. But if she succeeds in landing her stories on the front page,
there’s no guarantee she’ll remain above the fold.…

“That’s not my plan.” It wasn’t. I didn’t even
have a boyfriend. And yes, I was going to be the next Nellie Bly.

I couldn’t sleep that night. My mind was still
back in the city room, my head full of typewriters plinking, telephones and
news chatter.

Renee Rosen is at the top of my must read list.
Whenever she publishes a new book, it will be on my to be read list and will
not long after be in my hands. This book captures exactly what it is like to be
a journalist in the 1950’s in Chicago. Rosen captures the time period in which she
is writing about so well. Jordan Walsh is our leading lady; she is twenty-0ne
and ready to prove herself to the world. She is the daughter of a journalist
and a poet and wants to carry on the family tradition. Rosen’s world shows the
way of life in the 1950’s better than any other I have read. Any journey that
Rosen starts, please know that I will finish with her. I cannot say enough good
things about her work. Jordan comes from a highly intellectual and literary
couple, as I stated before, so I believe this is what allows me to connect with
her even more. She was a phenomenal character and oh so beautifully written!

This historical fiction novel was just what I needed
to kick off the holidays. It was cozy and made me really want to invest my time
and interest into finishing the story. I found it hard to put the book down because
the story was being so eloquently told. Another reason Rosen’s books speak so
much to my heart is because she deals with gender politics and focuses on the
way women were often viewed or treated throughout history. Jordan soon learns that
she is living in a man’s world. The men that work with her think that she does
not belong there and make life difficult for her. Jordan is also not given the
opportunity to write or focus on the topics that she wishes to cover. She is
made to write about Marilyn Monroe sightings, society news, juicy gossip,
weddings, and more. This book was such a pleasure to get wrapped up in – I will
do it again soon!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me
by the publishers at NAL in exchange for my honest review***

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Sweet, innocent
Coco has always been the good one. But when she catches her boyfriend cheating
on her, she decides it's time to break bad.

Coco swiftly goes from spending all her time
baking and reading to working nights in (and dancing on) a bar, falling in and
out of love (and lust), stealing education - and along the way discovers that
she is stronger than she ever knew… In a time when her best friends are
suddenly plunged into break ups, break-downs, big breaks, and on the verging of
quitting New York City altogether, it's up to Coco to keep them together and
find herself along the way.

Gemma Burgess'The Wild One: A Brooklyn Girls Novel is the inspiring story about the
turmoil, uncertainty, and heartache that every twenty something faces and
survives - with the help of her friends.

As you might expect from a group of twenty-something
girls, we spend the early part of the evening on an extended makeover session
in Angie’s room, with alcohol.

Pia reaches out, takes Angie’s martini, and tips
all of it back into her mouth. She hands back the empty glass and smiles. “Okay,
ladybitches. Let’s have some fun.”

So from now on, I don’t want to be the good one.
I’ll be the wild one.

Brooklyn Girls has been such an entertaining series
to read, especially for a girl in my twenties trying to figure out life one
step at a time. In Gemma’s stories not everyone has life all figured out; her
characters struggle with love, jobs, friends, and just life in general. They
are not perfect, but readers can revel in their flaws and will even find themselves
connecting with one or more of the characters. If you know the series, then you
know that each book follows one girl out of a group of best friends. The third
installment follows Coco and her desire to find what makes her truly happy.
Early on in the story Coco’s life takes a few dreaded turns and she is left
feeling unhappy and unsure of what her future holds. It is then that Coco
decides to start acting out; she is done being the “quiet” one, the “nice” one,
the “shy” one, so she decides it is about time for her to be the “wild” one!

These books have been so relatable and I cannot
believe that the series is finished. I was hoping that Burgess would write a
story for each of the girls; there are five in total, and I am still holding
out and hoping that she will. In some way, shape, or form I guarantee that all
readers will be able to relate with at least one of the characters. Their
struggles are part of the everyday, their relationships are not always perfect,
and they constantly question their decisions. In each story we get to see all
of the characters and learn how they have progressed since the last time we
have seen them. Their dialogue is always very comical and realistic; I will
probably find myself going back to this series very soon!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me
by the publishers at St. Martin’s Griffin in exchange for my honest review***

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Rapunzel can throw a knife better than any man around. And her skills as an
artist rival those of any artist she’s met. But for a woman in medieval times,
the one skill she most desires is the hardest one to obtain: the ability to
read.

After yet another young man asks for Rapunzel’s hand in marriage, Mother
decides they need to move once again, but this time to a larger city.
Rapunzel’s heart soars—surely there she can fulfill her dream. But Mother won’t
let her close to a man. She claims that no man can be trusted.

After being rescued by a knight on the road to the city, and in turn rescuing
him farther down the road, Rapunzel’s opportunity arrives at last. This knight,
Sir Gerek, agrees to educate Rapunzel in order to pay back his debt. She just
has to put up with his arrogant nature and single-minded focus on riches and
prestige.

But this Rapunzel story is unlike any other and the mystery that she uncovers
will change everything—except her happily ever after.

"When she had sung for several minutes, she
stopped and whispered, "I will never sing for Mother again, but I will
sing to you, God, as long as I have hope."

Mother just didn’t understand what it was like to be
young and to want to do things, to learn things, to meet new people. Mother was
content only to speak with Rapunzel, to be always with her.

Was she a bad person because she so enjoyed teasing
this knight? Bad or not, she did enjoy it.

Fans of fairy tale retellings will love getting
lost in this new rendition of Rapunzel. I have been following Melanie Dickerson’s
retellings ever since I started my book blog. Dickerson’s story puts its own
twist on a much loved story; her retellings are some of the best and I would
highly recommend them to all. In this retelling of Rapunzel, we see Mother
Gothel being overprotective, possessive as always. She moves Rapunzel from town
to town and gets extremely irritated when the local village boys pay extra
attention to Rapunzel. When they get close enough to propose, Mother Gothel
knows it is time to go. Rapunzel is a character that goes with the flow, is
courageous, and curious. This story takes more of a historical fiction route
than a fantastical one, but the characters were so fun-loving and the romance
was sweet and not too overwhelming.

Rapunzel
and Gerek make an outstanding couple and really complement each other on their
journey. Rapunzel is warm-hearted and highly spirited, while Gerek is stand
offish at first, surly, and a bit moody. Together they grow and build off of
each other’s strengths. Mother Gothel was a hard read for me simply because I could
not tell if she was the antagonist, like she is in other versions, or if she
really intended to protect Rapunzel and keep her safe. Either way, she was beautifully
written and added to the angst between Gerek and Rapunzel. The romance in this
story did not outdo the action, adventure, and actual plot. I can always
appreciate this greatly in a book!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me
by the publishers at Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review***

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

When Audrey Casella arrives for an unplanned stay at the grand Hotel Ruby,
she’s grateful for the detour. Just months after their mother’s death, Audrey
and her brother, Daniel, are on their way to live with their grandmother,
dumped on the doorstep of a DNA-matched stranger because their father is
drowning in his grief.

Audrey and her family only plan to stay the night, but life in the Ruby can be
intoxicating, extending their stay as it provides endless
distractions—including handsome guest Elias Lange, who sends Audrey’s pulse
racing. However, the hotel proves to be as strange as it is beautiful. Nightly
fancy affairs in the ballroom are invitation only, and Audrey seems to be the
one guest who doesn't have an invite. Instead, she joins the hotel staff on the
rooftop, catching whispers about the hotel’s dark past.

The more Audrey learns about the new people she's met, the more her curiosity
grows. She’s torn in different directions—the pull of her past with its
overwhelming loss, the promise of a future that holds little joy, and an
in-between life in a place that is so much more than it seems…

Welcome to the Ruby.

“Stay tonight. Stay forever” is typed in black on
the side.

“And hon,” the cashier calls. I turn back to look
at her, and she smiles. “Welcome to the Ruby.”

I usually stay away from horror books, and for
good reason; they creep me out and keep me up at night. I didn’t really know
what to make of this book when I first started reading it. I just knew that the
story was interesting and I couldn’t resist turning the pages. I started out
unsure of where the characters and story line were taking me, but quickly
enough I wondered into a world of mystery and intrigue. This book has its
faults, but it also has its redemption; it is twisted and takes many turns
that, as the reader, you will never see coming. The best part of the story is
that the Hotel Ruby is not even supposed to be the final destination for our
main characters, but just like them you will find yourself trapped, or should I
say mystified, by your surroundings. Welcome to the Ruby.

The setting, Hotel Ruby, was the best part of this
novel. I felt like with all the mysterious and unexplained events, the hotel
was its own character. I was completely caught up in this place that somehow
had “trapped” the characters. Audrey, our leading lady, is just the perfect
type of character to take us through a place like Hotel Ruby. She is curious,
likeable, a bit jaded, and makes it clear that she trusts no one, so when she
starts getting rather quickly attached to the people she meets at Hotel Ruby,
readers know something is amiss. I guessed the huge twist pretty early on, but
I was still glued to the pages just to make sure I did not miss anything else.
Side note, there is a pretty steamy romance in this book; I do not always
appreciate romance books, but Suzanne Young writes with such tact and really
knows her way around a hot, passionate kiss!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by
the publishers at Simon Pulse in exchange for my honest review***

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Lucy Alling makes
a living selling rare books, often taking suspicious measures to reach her
goals. When her unorthodox methods are discovered, Lucy's secret ruins her
relationship with her boss and her boyfriend James—leaving Lucy in a heap of
hurt, and trouble. Something has to change; she has to change.

In a sudden turn of events, James's wealthy
grandmother Helen hires Lucy as a consultant for a London literary and antiques
excursion. Lucy reluctantly agrees and soon discovers Helen holds secrets of her
own. In fact, Helen understands Lucy's predicament better than anyone else.

As the two travel across England, Lucy benefits
from Helen's wisdom, as Helen confronts the ghosts of her own past. Everything
comes to a head at Haworth, home of the Brontë sisters, where Lucy is reminded
of the sisters' beloved heroines, who, with tenacity and resolution,
endured—even in the midst of change.

Now Lucy must go back into her past in order to
move forward. And while it may hold mistakes and regrets, she will prevail—if
only she can step into the life that's been waiting for her all along.

“I mean that
reading forms your opinions, your worldview, especially childhood reading, and
anything that does that has an impact. So call them friends, call some stories
enemies if you want, but don’t deny their influence.”

“Hope is a hard
thing to share.”

“Don’t hang on to
the past so tightly you taint the future.”

I cannot thank
Katherine Reay enough for all of the wonderful adventures she has given me
since I started reading her books. In her newest book, The Bronte Plot, I was dropped right into a cozy antique story
filled with old furniture and stacks upon stacks of beautiful, rare, and
classic novels. What I found different about this novel was that I was unable
to connect to or even like the main character, Lucy, right from the start. Lucy
makes a couple of bad life choices and lands herself in some hot water. Readers
will probably find themselves very frustrated with her, but all will be better
in the end; I promise. You might even find yourself feeling compassion for her
and then admiration for all the gutsy spirit that she shows on her journey to
redemption.

This story is
really for anyone. We have all gone on some type of journey in our lives,
whether physical, mental, or emotional, so this makes it even easier to relate
to what Lucy is going through. However, you will not only fall in love with Lucy
and James, and their tumultuous love affair, but also with so many other
loveable characters like James’s grandmother, Helen. And on top of that, this
is a book about books – we are readers of books, so this means we have found
our own little wonderland. Katherine Reay truly is an artist with words. I am looking
forward to what she comes out with next, and am just praying that I do not have
to wait an entire year to read it!

***A free copy of
this book was provided to me by the publishers at Thomas Nelson in exchange for
my honest review***

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

From the
multi-million-copy bestselling author ofWicked comes a magical new twist onAlice's Adventures in Wonderland, published to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Lewis's
Carroll's beloved classic

When Alice toppled down the rabbit-hole 150 years
ago, she found a Wonderland as rife with inconsistent rules and abrasive egos
as the world she left behind. But what of that world? How did 1860's Oxford
react to Alice's disappearance?

In this brilliant new work of fiction, Gregory
Maguire turns his dazzling imagination to the question of underworlds,
undergrounds, underpinnings — and understandings old and new, offering an
inventive spin on Carroll's enduring tale. Ada, a friend of Alice's mentioned
briefly inAlice's Adventures in Wonderland, is off to visit her friend, but arrives a moment too late —
and tumbles down the rabbit hole herself.

Ada brings to Wonderland her own imperfect
apprehension of cause and effect as she embarks on an odyssey to find Alice and
see her safely home from this surreal world below the world. If Euridyce can
ever be returned to the arms of Orpheus, or Lazarus can be raised from the
tomb, perhaps Alice can be returned to life. Either way, everything that
happens next is After Alice.

“The Queen has become quite raveled over the
theft of her tarts,” insisted the Knight. “And you know what that means.”

“And
what’s a Jabberwock, you ask?

To
answer is a gruesome task.

It
is not ape though ape it may.

To
be a bee it cannot be.

‘Not
carp?’ you carp; ‘Not carp’ I say.

Nor
dog, though dogged, I decree.

It
is not eve – how you amuse!-

Nor
fish, although you fish for clues -“

“To whom much is given, much is expected of
those to whom much is given,” replied the White Queen uncertainly. “I expect.”

Gregory Maguire wowed fans and readers with his
reimagining of Oz, and now he takes those same readers on a journey to Alice’s
Wonderland that will leave readers stunned and ready for more. Maguire tells
the story from the point of view of Ada, Alice’s dearest and closest friend.
Ada goes on a journey in search of Alice, who has been gone for quite some time
now. Just like Alice before her, Ada finds the same portal that transported
Alice to the whimsical and magical Wonderland. I was blown away with how much I
enjoyed this book. Alice in Wonderland is one of my absolute favorites and I often
find myself being overly critical of these types of retellings. Ada’s point of
view was so unique and different and I greatly appreciated the change. Maguire
does a wonderful job of making readers feel like they have entered Wonderland,
but definitely through a new set of eyes.

The story was clever and the characters, both in
the ordinary world and in Wonderland, were quirky and fanciful. I enjoyed the
dialogue that took place between Ada and many of these characters, and I love
how Maguire brought in some characters from Lewis Carroll’s book that often get
left out in other retellings. This was an exciting new twist for me and really
made me appreciate Maguire’s work all the more. I know you all are dying to
know: do we get to see some of our most favorite, beloved characters? I am
happy to report that yes, we see the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, the
Cheshire Cat, and even the March Hare, plus so many more. Please do yourself a
favor and go out and get lost in Wonderland today!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me
by the publishers at William Morrow in exchange for my honest review***

About Me

My name is Chelsey and I am the creator of Charming Chelsey's! I read and review anything and everything that I find to be "charming."
I accept ARCs or already released books for review, and I'm also available to participate in any blog tours or book reveals too. If anything, please don't hesitate to email me any time for any reason at: charmingchelseys(at)gmail(dot)com